In 1688 and 1689, the issue of how England was to be
governed - and by whose authority - was finally settled,
when the last of the Stuarts, James II, was deposed in
favour of a monarchy that accepted its position
depended on the will of the people.
The new monarchs, William III and Mary II, ruled jointly.
The influence of the events that gave them the throne - the
Glorious Revolution - is still felt today. The revolution not only established the authority of the House of Commons in England and Wales - it also laid the foundations of Parliamentary democracy, and influenced the evolution of parliamentary government around the world.